Electrodialysis salt splitting regenerant generation for wac and wba resin combined with sodium hypochlorite on-site generation process

Abstract

Disclosed is a combined generator technology for two purposes: 1) electrodialysis “salt splitting” (ESS) to convert sodium chloride salt into an acid (hydrochloric or sulfuric) and a caustic (sodium hydroxide) to be generated for use as regeneration solutions for weak acid cation, weak base anion, and strong base anion resin systems and 2) electro-generation for converting sodium chloride salt into an aqueous solution of sodium hypochlorite both with the intention of treating make up water and/or recirculating in a cooling tower, fluid cooler, or any evaporative cooling device; other salts will apply to the process in addition to sodium chloride (example sodium sulfate).

1 . A combined generator system, comprising:
 an electrodialysis “salt splitting” (ESS) generator configured to convert sodium chloride salt or another salt into an acid and a caustic for use as regeneration solutions for weak acid cation, weak base anion, and/or strong base anion resin systems; and   an electro-generator configured to convert sodium chloride salt or another salt into an aqueous solution of a chlorine for treating make up water and/or recirculating water in a cooling tower, fluid cooler, or any evaporative cooling device; and   wherein said ESS generator and said electro-generator share a set of shared system components.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said another salt includes sodium sulfate. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said ESS generator and said shared system components including a brine tank saturation system, a hydrogen gas separator, and a liquid caustic storage tank. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said chlorine is sodium hypochlorite, further comprising a system to combine treated make up water and said sodium hypochlorite solution. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said chlorine is sodium hypochlorite, the system further comprising:
 a sodium bromide solution storage tank for holding sodium bromide solution;   a sodium hypochlorite storage tank for holding said sodium hypochlorite;   a pump system for pumping said sodium hypochlorite and said sodium bromide solution into a feed line to produce hypobromous acid solution.   
     
     
         6 . A corrosion control system for evaporative cooling water processes comprising the system of  claim 4 . 
     
     
         7 . A corrosion control system for evaporative cooling water processes comprising the system of  claim 5 . 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said shared components includes a controller configured to control both said ESS generator and said electro-generator. 
     
     
         9 . A system to produce treated water for cooling tower, fluid cooler or evaporative condenser installations, the system comprising:
 a combined generator system as in  claim 1 ;   a weak acid cation resin tank configured for removal of hardness and alkalinity from a supply water;   a weak base anion resin tank configured for removal of sulfate and chloride ions from the supply water;   wherein the supply water is processed through the weak acid cation and weak base anion resin tanks as resin treated supply water;   an acid regeneration solution storage tank for storing said acid and fluidically coupled to said weak acid cation resin tank for regeneration of the weak acid cation resin;   a caustic regeneration solution storage tank for storing said caustic and fluidically coupled to said weak base anion resin tank for regeneration of the weak base anion resin;   wherein the chlorine is sodium hypochlorite;   a sodium hypochlorite storage tank for storing the aqueous solution of sodium hypochlorite;   a pump system for controlling a feed of the aqueous solution of sodium hypochlorite through a feed line into a treatment injection point with the resin treated water to form a treated water effluent for the cooling tower, fluid tower or evaporative condenser installation, the pump system comprising a sodium hypochlorite pump connected to the sodium hypochlorite storage tank.   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the pump system further comprises:
 a chemical feed sensor located downstream of the treatment injection point; and   a chemical feed controller responsive to the chemical feed sensor for controlling the sodium hypochlorite pump.   
     
     
         11 . A system to produce treated water for cooling tower, fluid cooler or evaporative condenser installations, the system comprising:
 a combined generator system as in  claim 1 ;   a weak acid cation resin tank configured for removal of hardness and alkalinity from a supply water;   a weak base anion resin tank configured for removal of sulfate and chloride ions from the supply water;   wherein the supply water is processed through the weak acid cation and weak base anion resin tanks as resin treated supply water;   an acid regeneration solution storage tank for storing said acid and fluidically coupled to said weak acid cation resin tank for regeneration of the weak acid cation resin;   a caustic regeneration solution storage tank for storing said caustic and fluidically coupled to said weak base anion resin tank for regeneration of the weak base anion resin;   wherein the chlorine is sodium hypochlorite;   a sodium hypochlorite storage tank for storing the aqueous solution of sodium hypochlorite;   a sodium hypochlorite pump connected to the sodium hypochlorite storage tank for pumping the aqueous solution of sodium hypochlorite into a sodium hypochlorite feed line;   a sodium bromide storage tank for storing a liquid sodium bromide solution;   a sodium bromide solution pump connected to the sodium bromide storage tank;   a sodium bromide feed line connecting the sodium bromide solution pump to the sodium hypochlorite feed line at a feed line point upstream from a treatment injection point with the resin treated water, wherein the aqueous solution of sodium hypochlorite and the liquid sodium bromide solution form a hypobromous acid solution;   a hypobromous acid solution feed line connecting the feed line point to the treatment injection point;   wherein the resin treated water is combined with the hypobrous acid solution to form a treated water effluent for the cooling tower, fluid tower or evaporative condenser installation.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 a chemical feed sensor located downstream of the treatment injection point; and   a chemical feed controller responsive to the chemical feed sensor for controlling the sodium hypochlorite pump and the sodium bromide solution pump.   
     
     
         13 . A system to address corrosion in an evaporative cooling installation, comprising:
 an evaporative cooling device;   a heat exchanger;   a condenser pump configured to pump cooling water from the evaporative cooling device through a water flow path to the heat exchanger and back into the evaporative cooling device; a combined generator system as in  claim 1 ;   a weak acid cation resin tank configured for removal of hardness and alkalinity from a supply water;   a weak base anion resin tank configured for removal of sulfate and chloride ions from the supply water;   wherein the supply water is processed through the weak acid cation and weak base anion resin tanks as resin treated supply water for the evaporative cooling device;   an acid regeneration solution storage tank for storing said acid and fluidically coupled to said weak acid cation resin tank for regeneration of the weak acid cation resin;   a caustic regeneration solution storage tank for storing said caustic and fluidically coupled to said weak base anion resin tank for regeneration of the weak base anion resin;   wherein the chlorine is sodium hypochlorite;   a sodium hypochlorite storage tank for storing the aqueous solution of sodium hypochlorite;   a sodium hypochlorite pump for controlling a feed of the aqueous solution of sodium hypochlorite through a sodium hypochlorite feed line into a sodium hypochlorite treatment injection point with the cooling water to form a treated water effluent for the evaporative cooling device.   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 a chemical storage tank holding scale and corrosion inhibitor chemicals;   a chemical feed line connecting the chemical storage tank to a chemical injection point with the cooling water;   a water treatment controller configured to measure parameters of the cooling water and control the sodium hypochlorite pump, the condenser pump and a valve system to control flow of the resin treated water to the evaporative cooling device and the feed of the sodium hypochlorite and the scale and corrosion inhibitor chemicals into the cooling water.